Friday, September 27, 2013

Friends

   Yesterday turned out to be a little different than what we planned. We had several errands left over from Wednesday and we headed out right after breakfast. The kids have had very little Mommy and Daddy time and it was showing. Let's just say they were climbing the walls. It was clear they needed to get outside and Steve and I could probably use a break too. So after all of our errands we went over to visit with Krista, Justin, Madisen, Morgan and Georgeanna and we went swimming together. What an awesome afternoon! It was also a nice bonus that after several rainy days we finally saw some sunshine. 
   While running errands, I also got a chance to catch up with Jennifer and Rebecca. So with all the running around, it was nice to catch a few moments with friends. 
   Madisen and Morgan made beautiful cards for Stevie and Hannah and gave them going away presents. It was so sweet of them to do that. 


   We have decided to change plans yet again. We are going to stay a couple more days. We will use Friday and Saturday to finish packing. We will spend our last night at Krista's and head out on Sunday morning. 
   Krista and Justin offered help on Friday and we are very grateful. Stevie and Hannah went over to their house and played with the girls while Krista watched them. Justin came over and helped Steve take (yet another) load to the thrift store. Then they loaded all the heavy boxes and buckets that we were taking to Granny's house and David's barn.
   Most of the boxes contained canning jars and lids (my treasure!) but I will really not need my canning supplies until next summer. I am taking the pressure canner though. I am optimistic and hope to be canning some deer meat this winter. 
   After Steve and Justin finished loading the truck, we went to pick up Stevie and Hannah and went over to Granny's. She needed a new stove for one of her rentals. We met the guy who was selling it in Mascotte and he followed us. He was really nice, took the old stove out and even fixed an electric wire. 
   Once the stove was in place, we went over to David's house and unloaded the boxes in his barn. After that we had a nice dinner in Webster. 
It was nice to get to see Granny one more time before we leave.

   When we got home, we got back to packing. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the kitchen. I prepared a "kitchen ready box" with basic utensils to get us through the first week at the extended stay hotel. Everything else is getting packed up. 
   Tonight is the last night we are sleeping in this house. It really got to me when I was saying prayers with the kids. This is the only home they have ever had. They seem to be handling all the changes pretty well. Although this morning Hannah was crying that she wanted her couches back. I am sure that once we get to the first hotel, they will be perfectly happy. For some reason both kids LOVE hotels. 
   It has been a long day and again we are going to bed very tired. But we are blessed with good friends who have made it a lot easier on us today. 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Filling the Blue Box

   Hooray! Things are moving into the Blue Box. Steve and Stevie installed the brake controller in the truck before breakfast and then tested the breaks. Everything worked beautifully and it was time to start moving things into the big Blue Box.
 All hooked up and ready to go.



 
First thing to go in the Blue Box - Steve's woodworking table. 
 A couple more things ....
 .... and the rest of the stuff from the garage
Yup, it is basically empty.

   Steve spent most of the day in the garage packing up and loading the trailer. He was done by about 3 PM. Just on time to help me get the trash gathered up for our last run to the dump. 
Truck loaded with trash; this is the last of many trips to the dump. 
How in the world have we accumulated so much junk?

   While Steve worked in the garage, Jana and Jana (Jana's cousin from the Czech Republic) visited for a little while. They hung out with me while I emptied the bathroom of half full shampoo and soap bottles. I am left with just a small box of personal items we will keep. 
   I also packed one box in the kitchen. I need to make a "kitchen ready box" with dishes that we will use temporarily in the hotel. The rest can stay packed up until we have more permanent accommodations. 
   When Steve got back from the trash run, we went out to dinner at Gator's Dockside. We ordered a huge pile of wings and beer (water for the kids). And somehow, when we got home, Steve found energy for a game night with the kids. 

Visit with Granny

   On Tuesday, 9/24/13, we went to see Granny for the last time before we leave. Granny had a doctor appointment in the morning a couple of errands. Steve worked on her back porch. It rained all day. I made a meatloaf per Granny's request and brought over some corn on the cob to go with it. 
   After supper, we went to David's house and dropped off more stuff in his barn. The back of our truck was full as well as the trunk of the car. But it is all there. We will pick some of it up on our next visit. We are thinking about coming back to Florida for Thanksgiving. 
   We got home well after dark in the rain. We made it an early night to get some rest for another busy day tomorrow. 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Rainy Day

   Things are falling into place. I have been worrying about having enough time to get the truck fixed this week. But when Steve called around this morning to find where we can buy a cable to connect the break box for the trailer he got the work lined up and the truck is as good as new. It was not cheap but it needed to get done. And it is a big thing off the "to do" list.
   It rained pretty much all day and we used the time to run errands. We got the oil changed in the car, bought a charger for Stevie's Kindle (very important for the hours we will be spending on the road) and some new long sleeved clothes for Hannah.
   Stevie surprised us this morning. I was putting some laundry in the basket and he told me "Mom, just put it on the floor by the washer and I will put it in." Now that was a first! How can I save this moment and hit replay when laundry needs to get done? 
   Hannah loved the rain and went outside to play bubbles. She came back inside soaking wet - but very happy.
   In case you are wondering how school is going ... we incorporate learning into our activities through out the day. There is always something to learn - from adding up coins that the kids found in the kitchen (math and currency) to reading labels in cereal boxes (reading and nutrition). We are reading Henry and Ribsy and Stevie writes a "book report" about each chapter. We make up our own book reports with sentences where Stevie fills in the blanks. He is very proud when he knows how to spell the missing word all by himself. If he does not know it, he either copies it from the book or we spell it out to him letter by letter. Stevie was excited to get a package with two more Henry Huggins books in the mail.
   We are hoping to leave on Friday - that leaves us 3 days to be packed up and ready to go.
Hannah playing bubbles in the rain
  

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Less than a week to go

   It is Sunday, and our second entry into the family blog.  Today we packed some more, washed a ton of clothes from the bedroom and discarded some clothes.  We also got a lot of stuff organized in the garage and ready to be boxed and put in the big blue trailer (or the "Blue Box" as we call it). 
   We took little break in the middle of the day to have lunch with Jana and Robert. On the way home we bought more moving boxes at Lowe's. I am guessing this is the last set of boxes we will need.
   The kids discovered a bin full of toys in the dining room that we were getting ready to pack. Unfortunately, Hannah found the yappy Chihuahua toy that barks non-stop. She was beaming. I was hoping the that dog was out of sight out of mind and that I could include it with the other items we are setting aside to donate to a local thrift store. But it seems I missed my chance and that the dog will end up going to Tennessee with us. Hannah made sure he would safely sleep with her tonight.
   We talked to Babi (Grandma in the Czech Republic) on the phone today. Stevie made her day - he sang three songs to her over the phone. I need to teach him a Czech song as at first he did not want to sing anything because he could not sing in Czech.
   We are off to do some more packing, we have less than a week to go.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

The Beginning

    It is September 21st, 2013.  We have decided to start this blog to record our family journey from our current life in Clermont, Florida, to a yet to be determined homestead in Tennessee or maybe in Kentucky.  Stevie is 5 years old and Hannah is 3 years old, both are full of themselves and piss and vinegar.  They are a true blessing to us, we love them dearly. 
    I retired a couple of weeks ago from the Lake County Sheriffs Office.  I believe the actual date was August 7th 2013.  Me and Kat are really psyched about the move to Tennessee.  We already have a 19 acre piece of land in Rutledge, Tennessee, but have decided to find a larger piece of land further east in the area of Elizabethton or Johnson City.  As mentioned before, we are also considering land in Kentucky.
    We have been packing our butts off for the last month.  We having been doing, garage sales, moving sales, selling things on Craigslist.com, giving things away to charities.  We are down to a few folding tables, chairs and a bunch of boxes.  It has been quite liberating to rid ourselves of stuff. We purchased a 20' trailer to haul all of our stuff in.  If it doesn't fit, it is not going.  In addition, we have stored an equal amount of stuff at David's house in his barn.  We will pick up a little each time we come back to visit. 
    We have been trying to get mom to move in with us or in with someone else.  She is not in the best shape in the world and not able to do many of the tasks that needs to be done to live alone.  She thinks that she is able to and will not listen to any advice or offers from other family members.  We wish her well in her quest to stay independent.  More to follow.
   We have been living in an old house built in 1923 as a family for the past five and a half years, Steve has lived here for 14 years. It seems that the house is constantly in a state of disrepair but it is in a beautiful location inside the Crooked River Preserve. We have many wonderful memories here including our wedding under the big oak tree down by the river. Stevie and Hannah were both raised here. This was their first home and that makes it special.
   Now that we have set the stage for where we are now, here is our family vision. We want to move on to a healthier, simpler life. Kat and I are a product of past few generations that have been getting farther and farther away from the natural way of life. We are completely dependent on industrialized food sources and fossil fuels. The chemicals in our food, water and environment are detrimental to our health. It is very difficult to find (and afford) real food that has not been laced with chemicals or genetically altered. That is why we want to find a place in the country where we can grow our own organic fruits and vegetables, raise or hunt our own meat and learn to live in harmony with nature.
   We also want to get away from the crime and moral decay associated with densely populated areas. We want to live in a community where neighbors know and look out for each other and share similar values.
   This is our quest, our journey .... let's get going, let's kick this mule.